Is AI really coming for your job, or is it just misunderstood?

In this episode of The Surveying Shift, Louis Blaxill is joined by Nina Young FCA, CEO of Surveyors UK, to explore how AI is impacting the surveying profession. From client expectations to compliance challenges, Nina breaks down the opportunities and risks of integrating AI into daily workflows. This is a must-listen for any surveyor feeling overwhelmed, curious, or skeptical about the role of artificial intelligence in their future. You’ll walk away with clarity, strategy, and a fresh perspective on what it really means to “work smarter.”

Whether you’re new to digital tools or already experimenting with AI, this episode gives you the real-world context surveyors need right now.

Key Takeaways
• AI is not a replacement for surveyors, but a tool to enhance judgment
• The new AI standards offer essential guardrails but also introduce interpretation risks
• Surveyors are already using AI in report writing, proofreading, and defect detection
• Security and data compliance remain major concerns, especially with generative tools
• Clients are already using AI to interpret reports, surveyors need to get ahead of this
• Interactive, AI-powered reports could improve client understanding and communication
• AI can support consistency and reduce missed details through QA automation
• Skepticism within surveying is often due to misunderstanding, not real risk
• Training and upskilling are essential to close the knowledge gap
• Surveyors must develop both tech awareness and human communication skills

Best Moments

00:02:23. “Everybody's at different stages. And I think the challenge will be surveyors trying to understand the standard.”
00:03:28. “Grammarly is AI, but do you disclose that? That ambiguity could be a compliance burden.”
00:05:24. “There are times to use it, and times not to. Being intentional is key.”
00:06:02. “Professional judgment cannot be replaced by AI, nor should it be.”
00:08:01. “Surveyors are using AI to critique and audit their own reports.”
00:10:18. “AI is now being used to identify defects via computer vision, faster, deeper, tireless.”
00:13:13. “Everyone’s time poor. Clients just want quick answers, what does this mean to me?”
00:17:52. “GoReport users are freeing up time for more human, client-focused conversations.”
00:33:16. “Why not have something that tells you before it goes out, you maybe need to put that in.”

Learn more about GoReport: https://www.goreport.com

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